Friday, 26 September 2014

Blazing Saddles San Francisco, A Review | travel

If you want to see a city in a day this is the way to do it. You can cover a lot of ground a lot faster than walking, but it's so, so much better than being restricted to driving. I had heard and seen a lot of people talk about Blazing Saddles throughout my travels in San Francisco before and I don't know why it took till now for me to do it.

There are many Blazing Saddles sights all over San Francisco, so really it depends where you want to cycle and also how long you want the bike as only specific ones offer 24 hour drop off services. We chose to use the Hyde Street location just because it was right by a bus stop we were using and was just on the edge of the Aquatic Park path which we wanted to follow towards the Golden Gate.

In orientation at the beginning of the day when you pick up your bikes you will hear a lot of Blazing Saddles traditions they encourage you to do and when in Rome and all that, we decided to join in.This is a cheesy high five for getting up the first big hill.

For those of you like me who haven't cycled in year or were worried, there are so many views along the way even the keenest of athletes will be making stops to taken them in and snap pictures so you don't have to worry about feeling like you need to catch up and like shown above, so many people love to see the Bay this way the route is perfectly designed for Cyclists so no need to worry.

One of my favourite things about the ride is the views and spots you find along the way. If you just drive from sight to sight you miss all of the beautiful things in between like this crazy wild garden right on the beach, the perfect setting for a Golden Gate view.

My favourite place to make the first real stop and the last real sight before you make the last push up to the bridge is a Fort Point.

Listen to the crashing waves, watch Fishermen do their thing and take in views of Alcatraz, San Francisco's Skyline and of course the beautiful bridge.

Our cycle wasn't without hiccups, this was the first of many crashes we experienced with each other but it all makes it more fun.

It may seem like there are just 1000 pictures of the bridge getting closer and closer, but believe me if you take this ride you won't be able to help it either. Also, if you know San Francisco clear days like this in the Bay are few and far between, as the famous fog is normally draping the bridge at least a little bit.

Once you make it to the bridge you almost forget about the huge red structure you've been pedalling towards to two hours because the views out to the Pacific Ocean and the cliffs hugging it are honestly breathtaking. That's Baker Beach just to the left.

The traditional Bay Breeze is very welcome after a few hours cycling on a hot day and it makes for a few fun photo ops too. Just hope you're wearing a tight shirt otherwise you might be giving fellow bridge goers a little surprise.

Once you've caught you're breath is time to descend back down the mountain to the water, this was one of the most peaceful parts of the ride and a chance to get some definitely never before seen views.

I'll admit, the climb and descent back into Sausalito is the most hair raising part of the ride, it's a beautiful tiny town so the roads reflect that and you're sharing them with cars, residents and even maybe a bus, there are paths available but you will have to walk with your bike if you choose to take them. If I managed it though, you'll be fine, I'm the clumsiest person around.

You definitely deserve a hearty meal after this beautiful day of cycling, they say it takes 3-4 it took up 8 but it was worth every minute and that included a stop for lunch and a lot of mini photo sessions and it depends what you want to do. The Trident has beautiful views of the marina and the city in the distance and you can get a free Appetiser if you tell them you're from Blazing Saddles.

Once the sun had gone down we decided to take the Blue&Gold ferry back from Sausalito which drops you right back in Fishermans Wharf, so just a small walk back to the drop off.

Details:+ Bikes range from $32 - $88+ The more expensive bike are electric and are a god send of the hills for those not as used to cycling+ There are certain areas you cannot use the power so make sure you keep that in mind+ For electric bikes you will need a credit card to leave a deposit or debit with $1000 available+ You can take various routes, we took the 'Bike the Bridge to Sausalito'+ You can do guided as well as self guided tours if you're worried about getting lost+ Safety gear is included in the price of hire+ The team will fit you with an appropriate bike and make sure you're comfortable before you leave+ Get your return ferry ticket from Blazing Saddles before you set off for a discount and to avoid any hassle+ When leaving the bike in the 24 hour drop off, take pictures just in caseTake the cycle, even if you never normally would, its worth it!Until next time, Love&Kisses, Mel